Business meetings are, arguably, a necessary part of any organization where people work collectively to accomplish a goal. But badly managed, meetings can be unproductive, boring and feel like a complete waste of time. In a recent survey conducted by technology firm eShare, it was found that the average UK employee spends over 10 hours weekly preparing for and attending meetings—approximately 50% of which they consider unnecessary. However, there are theories that technology could improve things.
It’s very workable for an AI to be able to recognise when one person is controlling a meeting, or if a circular discussion keeps returning to a single issue. “If no new points are made after a while, the AI could suggest wrapping up a meeting,” says Cynthia Rudin, a computer science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But AI isn’t quite there yet.
“If AI can do most of the dull work during meetings, that leaves more space for humans to think about strategy and vision,” believes Niki Iliadis at the Big Innovation centre. This seems to be true. Osaka in Japan started using an AI as a minute taker (会议记录员) to record and summarise the 450 annual meetings. It has halved the time needed to produce summaries and cut staff overtime. AI can also help with the matter of attendance. If a meeting with irrelevant subject matter is called, or if it’s an inconvenient time, an AI could be used to decide who should attend the meeting and when it should be. Finally participants can make open-ended responses, exchange comments or vote in multiple-choice quizzes. This has fundamentally changed the atmosphere of a presentation.
While tools that can create agendas, send meeting invitations and keep track of action items should improve effectiveness, they are still in development. Let’s hope that if or when they do arrive, they will meet our expectations.
1.The writer may agree with the fact that .
A.surveyed UK employees believe that about 50% of meetings are unnecessary.
B.average UK employee spends over 20 hours weekly preparing for and attending meetings
C.all the meetings are fruitless, boring and a complete waste of time.
D.it’s impossible for an AI to know when one person is controlling a meeting
2.The underlined phrase “wrapping up” in paragraph two means “ ”.
A.cancelling B.beginning
C.completing D.organizing
3.According to paragraph 3, AI is able to .
A.make open-ended responses B.decide when the meeting should be
C.think about strategy and vision D.vote in multiple-choice quizzes
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.The Future Belongs to AI B.The Future of Business Meetings
C.What Will Become of AI D.Can AI Save Us from Bad Meetings?
高三英语阅读理解困难题
Business meetings are, arguably, a necessary part of any organization where people work collectively to accomplish a goal. But badly managed, meetings can be unproductive, boring and feel like a complete waste of time. In a recent survey conducted by technology firm eShare, it was found that the average UK employee spends over 10 hours weekly preparing for and attending meetings—approximately 50% of which they consider unnecessary. However, there are theories that technology could improve things.
It’s very workable for an AI to be able to recognise when one person is controlling a meeting, or if a circular discussion keeps returning to a single issue. “If no new points are made after a while, the AI could suggest wrapping up a meeting,” says Cynthia Rudin, a computer science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But AI isn’t quite there yet.
“If AI can do most of the dull work during meetings, that leaves more space for humans to think about strategy and vision,” believes Niki Iliadis at the Big Innovation centre. This seems to be true. Osaka in Japan started using an AI as a minute taker (会议记录员) to record and summarise the 450 annual meetings. It has halved the time needed to produce summaries and cut staff overtime. AI can also help with the matter of attendance. If a meeting with irrelevant subject matter is called, or if it’s an inconvenient time, an AI could be used to decide who should attend the meeting and when it should be. Finally participants can make open-ended responses, exchange comments or vote in multiple-choice quizzes. This has fundamentally changed the atmosphere of a presentation.
While tools that can create agendas, send meeting invitations and keep track of action items should improve effectiveness, they are still in development. Let’s hope that if or when they do arrive, they will meet our expectations.
1.The writer may agree with the fact that .
A.surveyed UK employees believe that about 50% of meetings are unnecessary.
B.average UK employee spends over 20 hours weekly preparing for and attending meetings
C.all the meetings are fruitless, boring and a complete waste of time.
D.it’s impossible for an AI to know when one person is controlling a meeting
2.The underlined phrase “wrapping up” in paragraph two means “ ”.
A.cancelling B.beginning
C.completing D.organizing
3.According to paragraph 3, AI is able to .
A.make open-ended responses B.decide when the meeting should be
C.think about strategy and vision D.vote in multiple-choice quizzes
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.The Future Belongs to AI B.The Future of Business Meetings
C.What Will Become of AI D.Can AI Save Us from Bad Meetings?
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship. 1.Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art, and customs. They expect questions about their family and are sure to show pictures of their children. The French think of conversation as an art form. 2.For them, arguments can be interesting — and they can cover pretty much or any topic — as long as they occur in a respectful and intelligent manner.
In the United States, business people like to discuss a wide range of topics, including opinions about work, family, hobbies and politics. 3.They do not share much about their thoughts, feelings or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious business relationship they’re trying to build. Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters. It is considered rude, for example, to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children.
4.This can get you into trouble, even in the United States, where people hold different views. Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world, although be careful not to criticize a national sport. 5.
A. Instead, be friendly and praise your host’s team.
B. They enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as disagreements.
C. In Japan, China and Korea, however, people are much more private.
D. In addition, discussing one’s salary is usually considered unsuitable.
E. You may feel free to ask your Latin American friends similar questions.
F. As a general rule, it’s best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends.
G. Before you start a discussion, however, make sure you understand which topics are suitable in a particular culture.
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship. 1.Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art, and customs. They expect questions about their family and are sure to show pictures of their children. The French think of conversation as an art form. 2.For them, arguments can be interesting---and they can cover pretty much or any topic---as long as they occur in a respectful and intelligent manner.
In the United States, business people like to discuss a wide range of topics, including opinions about work, family, hobbies, and politics. 3.They do not share much about their thoughts, feelings, or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious business relationship they’re trying to build. Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters. It is considered rude, for example, to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children.
4.This can get you into trouble, even in the United States, where people hold different views. Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world, although be careful not to criticize a national sport.5.
A.Instead, be friendly and praise your host’s team.
B.You may feel free to ask your Latin American friends similar questions.
C.Before you start a discussion, however, make sure you understand which topics are suitable in a particular culture.
D.In Japan, China, and Korea, however, people are much more private.
E.In addition, discussing one’s salary is usually considered unsuitable.
F.They enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as disagreements.
G.As a general rule, it’s best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends.
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
An important part of any business relationship is informal conversation. Before you start a discussion, ______ , make sure you understand which topics are ______ and which are considered taboo (禁忌) in a ______ culture. Latin Americans enjoy ______ information about their local history,art,and customs. ______ questions about your family, and be sure to show pictures of your children. You may feel free to ask ______ questions of your Latin American friends. The French think of conversation as an art ______, and they enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as ______. For them, arguments can be interesting-and they can ______ pretty much or any topic-______ they occur in are spiteful and intelligent manner.
In the United States, business people like to discuss a ______ range of topics, including opinions about work, family, hobbies, and politics. In Japan, China, and Korea, however, people are much more private. They do not share much about ______ thoughts, feelings, or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away the harmonious business relationship they're trying to ______. Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family ______. It is considered ______, for example, to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children.
As a general ______, it's best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends. This ______ get you into trouble, ______ in the United States, where people hold different religious views. In addition, discussing one's salary is usually considered unsuitable. Sports is ______ a friendly subject in most parts of the world, although be careful not to ______ a national sport. Instead, be friendly and praise your host's team.
1.A. besides B. however C. thus D. then
2.A. enjoyable B. respectable C. available D. suitable
3.A. particular B. special C. especial D. usual
4.A. requiring B. requesting C. speaking D. sharing
5.A. Prepare B. Collect C. Except D. Imaging
6.A. similar B. strange C. interesting D. favorable
7.A. lesson B. show C. form D. exhibition
8.A. agreements B. equipment C. disagreements D. instruments
9.A. say B. cover C. make D. hold
10.A. as far as B. even though C. as long as D. for fear that
11.A. long B. various C. wide D. small
12.A. other B. our C. your D. their
13.A. instruct B. direct C. control D. build
14.A. history B. matters C. tree D. pictures
15.A. rude B. polite C. curious D. dangerous
16.A. idea B. rule C. regulation D. direction
17.A. can B. must C. need D. should
18.A. even B. still C. never D. not
19.A. hardly B. instantly C. nearly D. typically
20.A. beat B. criticize C. strike D. organize
高三英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析
Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship. Before you start a discussion, however, make sure you understand which topics are suitable and which are considered taboos(禁忌) in a particular culture. Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art, and customs. They expect questions about their family and are sure to show pictures of their children. You may feel free to ask similar questions of your Latin American friends. The French think of conversation as an art form, and they enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as disagreements. For them, arguments can be interesting — and they can cover pretty much or any topic — as long as they occur in a respectful and intelligent manner.
In the United States, business people like to discuss a wide range of topics, including opinions about work, family, hobbies, and politics. In Japan, China, and Korea, however, people are much more private. They do not share much about their thoughts, feelings, or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious business relationship they’re trying to build. Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters. It is considered rude, for example, to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children.
As a general rule, it’s best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends. This can get you into trouble, even in the United States, where people hold different views. In addition, discussing one’s salary is usually considered unsuitable. Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world, although be careful not to criticize a national sport. Instead, be friendly and praise your host’s team.
1.The author considers politics and religion ________.
A. cheerful topics B. taboos
C. rude topics D. topics that can never be talked about
2.Which is typically a friendly topic in most places according to the author?
A. Sports. B. Children.
C. Personal feelings. D. Families.
3.Why are people from Asia more private in their conversation with others?
A. They don’t want to talk with others much.
B. They don’t want to have their good relationship with others harmed by informal conversation.
C. They are afraid to argue with their colleagues.
D. They want to keep their feelings to themselves.
4. What shouldn’t you do when talking about sports with colleagues from another country?
A. Praising your own country’s sports.
B. Criticizing your own country’s sports.
C. Praising the sports of your colleagues’ country.
D. Criticizing the sports of your colleagues’ country.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
阅读理解。
Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship. Before you start a discussion, however, make sure you understand which topics are suitable and which are considered taboos (禁忌) in a particular culture. Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art, and customs. They expect questions about their family and are sure to show pictures of their children. You may feel free to ask similar questions of your Latin American friends. The French think of conersation as an art form, and they enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as disagreements. For them, arguments can be interesting — and they can cover pretty much or any topic — as long as they occur in a respectful and intelligent (智慧的) manner.
In the United States, business people like to discuss a wide range of topics, including opinions about work, family, hobbies, and politics. In Japan, China and Korea, however, people are much more private. They do not share much about their thoughts, feelings, or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious (和谐的) business relationship they're trying to build. Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters. It is considered rude, for example, to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children.
As a general rule, it's best not to talk about politics or religion (宗教) with your business friends. This can get you into trouble, even in the United States, where people hold different views. In addition, discussing one's salary is usually considered unsuitable. Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world, although be careful not to criticize a national sport. Instead, be friendly and praise your host's team.
1.The author considers politics and religion______.
A．cheerful topics B．taboos
C．rude topics D．too serious
2.We typically talk about______in a friendly way in most places according to the author.
A．sports B．children
C．personal feelings D．families
3.Why are people from Asia more private in their conversation with others?
A．They don't want to talk with others much.
B．They don't want to have their good relationship with others harmed by informal conversation.
C．They are afraid to argue with their colleagues.
D．They want to keep their feelings to themselves.
4.In which country may it be suitable to talk about the family with your business friends?
A．In France. B．In Saudi Arabia.
C．In Korea. D．In the USA.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
CORAL reefs are,in fact,a necessary part of our ecosystem and provide opportunities for human beings to gain a better understanding of the ocean.Unfortunately,they're also disappearing faster than ever.
According to a warning by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) on Oct.8,the world is in its third recorded global coral bleaching（白化）since 1998 and 2010.This means no place with coral has been spared,as coral reefs are coming into contact with increasingly warm seas,which is leading to them dying off in large numbers.
Coral bleaching is like human cancer.It happens when corals are under stress from changes in light,nutrients,or temperature.This causes the coral to drive away the symbiotic algae（共生藻类）,living within their tissues（组织）, which play an important role in providing food for coral while making it colorful.Without the algae,coral reefs become pale and weak.In some cases they are not able to recover and eventually die off.
The current coral bleaching event started back in late 2014 and continued into this year with no signs of stopping.The BBC reports that 35% of coral reefs in the world will likely be affected,and an estimated 4,633 square miles (about 120,000 square kilometers) of coral reefs could die.
The loss of coral reefs is no small matter.Although they only take up 0.1% of the ocean floor,coral is home to about 25% of marine life.This isn't just a problem for divers and fish,as Eakin pointed out.Coral reefs are important globally,he added,as they protect shorelines,produce money in tourism,and help provide food for 500 million people worldwide.So people cannot overlook the environmental,economic and social effects of the loss.
The NOAA warning about coral bleaching came just about two months before a global climate summit（峰会）in Paris,where hundreds of world leaders will attempt to work our a plan to fight climate change.
Oceans will be a key subject during the summit,and Eakin says there's an "absolutely urgent need" for action.
1.Coral reefs,according to the passage,are dying off in large numbers as a result of .
A. disease B. warm seas
C. dirty water D. a lack of fool
2.What keeps coral reefs colorful?
A. Nutrients. B. Their tissues.
C. Light from seawater. D. The symbiotic algae.
3.The climate summit in Paris .
A. will be held two months before he NOAA warning about coral bleaching
B. has worked out a plan to fight climate change
C. will mainly discuss the problem of oceans
D. will regard oceans as a key topic of the global climate
4.Why are coral reefs important?
a.They protect shorelines.
b.They are beneficial to tourism.
c.They are home to most marine life.
d.They help provide food for 500 million people.
A. a b d B. a c d
C. a b c D. b c d
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Coral reefs are a necessary part of sea life and support it by providing shelter and habitat to various organisms. They also supply and recycle nutrients as well as enable a fish population to boom, along with other species, for a healthy and diverse ecosystem.
However, the rise in average water temperatures due to climate change has resulted in more frequent and extended “coral bleaching(珊瑚白化)” events that damage their health, causing fish and other sea species to abandon them.
In order to repair this delicate ecosystem, scientists from the UK and Australia conducted a study that involved using speakers underwater near damaged coral reefs to make them sound healthy and attract fish, potentially starting the natural recovery press of coral reefs and their dependent life forms.
The location for this experiment was the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea, found alongside the east coast of Queensland Australia, which is famous to have the largest coral reef system in the world that’s 2, 300 kilometers long and covers an area of nearly 344, 400 square kilometers. By using loudspeakers to reproduce such sounds, areas of dead coral reefs were found to attract twice as many fish, compared to places where no sounds were played. These returning fish could help in the recovery of this ecosystem by giving those areas of coral a chance of new life.
“Fish are important for coral reefs to function as healthy ecosystems. Increasing fish populations in this way could help to start natural recovery process, reducing the damage we’re seeing on many coral reefs around the world. Of course, attracting fish to a dead reef won’t bring it back to life automatically, but the recovery process relies on fish that clean the reef to make space for corals to regrow.” said Mark Meekan.
1.What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A.The importance of coral reefs. B.The influence of climate change.
C.The perfect place for sea species. D.The ecosystem diversity and complexity.
2.What's the purpose of using speakers underwater?
A.To make fish more active. B.To test damaged coral reefs.
C.To help recover the ecosystem. D.To help speed the growth of reefs.
3.Why is the experiment carried out in the Great Barrier Reef?
A.It can attract rich sea species. B.It can draw public attention easily.
C.There exist more dead coral reefs. D.There is the largest coral reef system.
4.What is Mark Meekan's attitude towards the use of speakers?
A.Doubtful B.Positive
C.Disappointed D.Indifferent
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Communication is an important part of any relationship. Many of us are ______ to share our experiences or emotions with our friends. But when it’s our turn to lend a(n) ______, we soon become bored or are short of idea on how to _____ and offer advice.
That’s because of what researchers call “listener burnout(倦怠)”. A friend might talk to us _____, often complaining about the same ______ problems. When we offer quick advice to ______ the situation, we may be unconsciously trying to ______ ourselves from burnout. However, good listeners ______ their natural tendency to solve the other’s problems hurriedly and to keep the conversation brief.
To be a good ____, you need to use “active listening”. It starts with the real ______ to help others and think through their feelings. Don’t ______ things. You can start by putting your phone ____ and sitting close to your friend. Let your facial expressions ______ what he or she is saying. ____ you are able to fully understand, acknowledge the other person’s _____ by reflecting them back: “That must be really hard for you.” Use _____ words or even sounds such as “yes”, “right”, and “hmm” to _____ the other person to continue.
Of course, a ______ can be extremely hard if the other person is too critical. But don’t get defensive. Effective listeners don’t ______ negative criticism. Instead, they listen and understand what the person is trying to convey _____ responding.
1.A. afraid B. hesitant C. shy D. eager
2.A. shoulder B. hand C. ear D. eye
3.A. respond B. explain C. argue D. quit
4.A. aimlessly B. endlessly C. deliberately D. cautiously
5.A. difficult B. old C. acute D. sensitive
6.A. fix B. discuss C. create D. describe
7.A. forgive B. protect C. discourage D. prevent
8.A. follow B. reveal C. form D. overcome
9.A. reader B. partner C. listener D. speaker
10.A. demand B. habit C. desire D. ability
11.A. skip B. rush C. overlook D. postpone
12.A. away B. off C. out D. up
13.A. record B. restrict C. reflect D. replace
14.A. Whether B. Since C. While D. If
15.A. suggestions B. purposes C. responses D. feelings
16.A. big B. tough C. strong D. short
17.A. force B. remind C. encourage D. convince
18.A. conversation B. project C. problem D. lecture
19.A. give up B. make up C. leave out D. block out
20.A. after B. before C. while D. once
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
完形填空。
Communication is an important part of any relationship.Many of us are ____ to share our experiences or emotions with our friends. But when it's our turn to lend a(n) ____，we soon become bored or are short of ideas on how to ____ and offer advice.
That's because of what researchers call “listener burnout (精疲力竭)”. A friend might talk to us ____， often complaining about the same ____ problems. When we offer quick advice to ____ the situation, we may be unconsciously trying to ____ ourselves from burnout.However, good listeners ____ their natural tendency to solve the other's problems hurriedly and to keep the conversation brief.
To be a good ____， you need to use “active listening”. It starts with the real ____ to help others and think through their feelings. Don't ____ things. You can start by putting your phone ____ and sitting close to your friend. Let your facial expressions ____ what he or she is saying.____ you are able to fully understand, acknowledge the other person's ____ by reflecting them back：“That must be really hard for you.” Use ____ words or even sounds such as “yes” “right”， and “hmm” to ____ the other person to continue.
Of course, a ____ can be extremely hard if the other person is too critical.But don't get defensive.Effective listeners don't ____ negative criticism. Instead, they listen and understand what the person is trying to convey ____responding.
1.A．afraid B．hesitant C．shy D．eager
2.A．shoulder B．hand C．ear D．eye
3.A．respond B．explain C．argue D．quit
4.A．aimlessly B．endlessly C．deliberately D．cautiously
5.A．difficult B．old C．acute D．sensitive
6.A．fix B．discuss C．create D．describe
7.A．forgive B．protect C．discourage D．prevent
8.A．follow B．display C．form D．overcome
9.A．reader B．partner C．listener D．speaker
10.A．demand B．habit C．desire D．ability
11.A．skip B．rush C．overlook D．postpone
12.A．away B．off C．out D．up
13.A．record B．restrict C．reflect D．replace
14.A．Whether B．Since C．While D．If
15.A．suggestions B．purposes C．responses D．feelings
16.A．big B．tough C．strong D．short
17.A．force B．remind C．encourage D．convince
18.A．conversation B．suggestion C．problem D．lecture
19.A．give up B．make up C．leave out D．block out
20.A．after B．before C．while D．once
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析